Odds and Endings
by InChrist-Billios
Summary: This is an extended epilogue to Not All Surprises Are Pleasant, to give you a better idea of how the characters returned to life AFTER the fairy tale.
1. Dannlin, Sarah, and Rose

**Alright, so basically how this fic is going to work is: these are little excerpts of life after Nasap. If you have any requests, please let me know! They will probably all be fairly short, just to give you a glimpse of how they all are adapting to life again and so forth.**

* * *

"Dannlin, look out!" Sarah said sharply. 

The boy ducked his head instinctively and the heavy tray Sarah was staggering with just barely whooshed _over_ his head.

"I knew you didn't like me overmuch, but assassination attempts?" he said dolefully, continuing with his job of slicing rolls for the dinner.

"I didn't mean to and you know it," Sarah said warningly, sliding the tray full of vegetables onto the counter and sighing in relief.

"I shall forever be the under-appreciated, over-persecuted –"

"Let off it," Rose said, giving Dannlin a mock glare. "If I have to put up with another 'woe is me' monologue from you I might scream."

"I've been scolded by two ladies in two minutes, heaven have mercy!" Dannlin declared, dropping the knife with a clatter onto the counter and holding his hands over his heart.

"Dannlin McCraw, _work!_" someone shouted from the direction of the ovens.

Rose and Sarah burst into laughter as they began to peel and slice the vegetables. Dannlin gave them a long-suffering look and returned to his task.

"Show off," Rose murmured good-naturedly, cutting a carrot in a quickly fastidious manner and watching with satisfaction as it fell into perfectly equal slices.

Dannlin sniffed and muttered something indistinguishable and Sarah laughed.

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**Please review! I'll give you a truffle...**


	2. Karl and Reese

**Hey! Long time no see, I know. I've recently been diagnosed with tendinitis and it _hurts_ a lot currently, since they had three different people push and pull and shove all on it. So, I'm going at this one handed. Don't expect too much from me until this clears up more – sorry!**

**Oh, thanks to **Kate W.** for reading Nasap! I appreciate that you took the time to read and review. --hands her a huge UPS box with a large selection of yummy things--**

* * *

Karl looked in the windows of a small house, trying to catch a glimpse of his new owner. The room was empty, so Karl started moving to the next window when a little girl tore into the room, shrieking with laughter. 

_There she is, _he thought to himself, frowning slightly at the pull she unconsciously had on him.

He watched the girl and her mother tickle and chase each other for a few minutes, pondering this turn of events. He hadn't been expecting someone so _young_.

_I thought for sure Iain had a brother... but that matters little now._

Ordinary laws would say he had to introduce himself to her immediately, but he could easily break that one with little consequence. On a whim, he gently felt her emotions and personality.

_Fiery, goes with the red hair. Headstrong. A large streak of selfishness and greed – gets that from her delightful father. I hope her mother wrings that out of her. Fearless. Love for weapons – even now? Unusual. All things considered, it looks like I got myself bound to a potential maniac._

With a sigh, he pulled himself back and saw that she was now laying on her mother's lap listening to a story.

"Karl?"

Karl jumped and turned, fixing Mel with a glare.

"This her?" she asked, ignoring it and looking in the window.

"The girl," Karl said, also looking in.

"What's she like?"

"Just like her father," Karl said with a faint scowl.

"We better tell Carvin and Nre, then," Mel said.

"Not yet. She's still quite young. I'll watch her progress; maybe she can break the mold."

"Does she know you are hers?"

"No. I'm going to wait until she's older."

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

Karl grinned.

"Enjoy my life as much as possible."

"I almost don't want you to be freed – Karl without boundaries?" Mel shuddered.

Karl tugged a chunk of her hair, then vanished, laughing.

* * *

**I NEED ideas for future chapters. This is what I have so far, please suggest anything else! I need help!**

**1. Nre and Carvin visit Cameron's sister**

**2. Nre tells Carvin they're going to have a kid**

**3. Dannlin proposes**

**4. Rose, Dannlin, and an adorable kid**

**Do you want any Faidn? Any more with Karl's little 'master' (--smile--)? Nre's parents? Help!**

**Review! I'm handing out slices of key lime pie!**


	3. Dannlin

**AH! It's been WAY too long. I apologize profusely. I sincerely promise that another chapter will be up within a few days -- I've got about two days of almost solid writing time that I'm going to use to finish up "Revenge" and write a chapter or two more of Odds.  
**

**I wonder, is anyone still there? --sigh-- Well, here's Dannlin, at any rate.  
**

* * *

Dannlin was nervous. 

He changed his shirt for the third time that afternoon, reverting back to the fern green he had originally chosen. He studied it for several moments, smoothing it out and biting his lip.

"This is surely too informal!" he wailed in sudden hopelessness, knocking his head soundly against the wall. "But – there – are – no – others!"

Each word was punctuated with a bang. It suddenly dawned on him that beating his head against the wall would give him a red lump in the middle of his forehead. He whirled on the mirror in fright and examined himself.

No spot. Good. And his hair was temporarily under submission (having recently been trimmed); the red-blond mop tapered _away_ from his face for once.

Over the years he'd filled out somewhat, but even at twenty he looked lanky and scrawny because of his formidable height. In addition to that, the pale sweatiness of anxiety made him look like a skeleton: skinny and pale.

Smiling feebly, he struck a pose at himself, then moaned loudly at the pitiful scene.

"I can't do this!"

_Knock knock knock._

He froze, gripped with fear. Not yet!

_Knock!_

He ran to the door and, upon opening it, saw Rose standing there with a sparkling smile. Dann slumped against the doorframe in relief.

"Oh, it's just you," he sighed. "I though Sarah had come early."

"Just me?" Rose laughed. "No, it's no one important, don't worry. And Sarah isn't coming here – you said you'd pick her up at four."

"Right." Pause. Panic. "What time is it!?"

"Three forty-five," she assured him. "I came over here to make sure you didn't lose your head and forget something important."

She glanced down slightly and stifled a smile.

"Like... your pants."

Dannlin gasped in horror and looked down quickly, barely registering the crisp, black pants before Rose giggled.

"I couldn't help myself," she laughed, eyes twinkling.

"RO–"

"Seriously, though, do you have everything?"

"I – I think so," he said with hesitation, patting his pockets.

"But Rose, I can't do this. She'll never say yes! I'll make a complete dunderhead of myself!"

His last few words were muffled by his shaking hands. Rose's teasing features softened and she wrapped her arms around Dannlin in a comforting hug.

"You're overreacting. Of course she'll say yes. She might even say yes before you're done asking."

"She's just so – perfect," he breathed. "She could never want me! I'm just a bumbling gargoyle who – "

"Stop!" Rose held up a hand. "Stop, stop, stop. Answer me this; do you want to marry Sarah?"

"YES, but – " Dann cried.

"Stop! Yes. You do. So, you're going to take Sarah to the fair, then come back and enjoy a lovely dinner which I am overseeing and at the last course, you will ask her to marry you. Remember? We've been over this plan a hundred times."

"I remember, but I don't – "

Rose punched him in the arm.

"Stop worrying about it. Take it from me, you'll have no problem at all. You're perfect for each other. Now, you'd better be heading off. You have the tickets?"

"Yes," he said, slipping them out of his pocket to assure himself of their presence.

"Money?"

"Yes." He jingled the purse in his other pocket.

"Ring?"

"Y—no!" Dannlin yelped, diving for the cupboard.

He wrenched it open and withdrew a small box, opened it to look at the ring one more time, then put it in his pocket.

"It's a good thing I came," Rose said with a smile.

"Yeah," Dannlin said, mind elsewhere.

"Come on, you have to go," Rose prodded hen he didn't move.

"Oh, right," he said, jerking his head out of the horrific reverie he had found himself in.

"You'll be fine," Rose insisted as they walked out the door.

"Thanks," Dannlin muttered.

Rose made a face.

"Look happy, Dann! You're going to go spend the afternoon with the person you love most!"

"Right," he said absently.

Rose rolled her eyes good naturedly and patted his shoulder.

"See you later, Dann. Have fun."

"Yeah," Dann said, still lost in his imagination.

Rose shook her head at him and laughed, then headed down the opposite direction, toward the kitchens.

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**Final Word Count: 700**

**Please Review! I'll give you a big popsicle! **


	4. Carvin and Nre

**As promised, a few days! **

**Heh. I like this chapter.**

* * *

Brilliant fingers of color stretched across the blue-grey sky like the veins of a maple leaf: orange and pink streaks that faded to purple at the tips and sneaked behind the occasional cloud splashed with gold. The day was transfixed in a stunning moment of half-life as it was bathed in the mystical rose-hued light that streamed over the trees, leaving half of them in deep shadow. The undulating grass rippled, as if the waves of light were moving their tiny heads. 

Nre leaned back against Carvin's chest with her eyes half closed, hardly noticing the sunset that they had come out to watch. She was preoccupied with the gentle movement when he breathed and the electrifying path of his fingers through her hair. Carvin leaned against the tree, a contented smile on his face as he cherished the moment.

"You know what I was thinking today?" Nre asked, her soft voice blending smoothly with the quieting noise of the gathering dusk.

"What's that?" Carvin asked, voice equally soft.

"I was thinking about Iain and that adventure."

Carvin's fingers paused for only a split second before resuming the pattern.

"Oh?" he asked cautiously.

"Mhm. I was wondering; why did you come after me? I mean, there were search parties out..."

"Oh, that," Carvin said, relieved that she wasn't going to go into despondent reminisces. "I felt I was... " –he struggled for the right words– "duty bound, if you will."

"Duty?" she echoed, opening her eyes and turning her head slightly.

"Yes," he said, apparently not noticing or else misinterpreting the undertone to her voice. "In the name of honor, you know."

"In the name of honor," Nre said flatly.

Carvin picked up on the tone this time and hastily added to his statement.

"I was worried about you but I didn't know you very well so – you were to be my wife and – "

"Right," she said shortly.

"What's wrong?" Carvin asked, biting his lip with the nagging felling that he'd botched something up.

"Nothing. Hey, I'm getting cold. I'm going to go inside, alright?"

"Okay," he said hesitantly, pulling his fingers through her hair one last time before letting her get up.

"I love you," he said tentatively as she rose.

"Love you too," she murmured, walking back toward the palace.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Carvin was leaning against the door and feeling quite agitated as he looked on his wife, sitting on the bed with her arms crossed. 

"Nre."

"No."

"Nre, please--"

"No."

"Why are you being so stubborn?"

"Why do you care?"

"What's wrong?" Carvin asked through gritted teeth for the hundredth time that evening.

"You should know," Nre said stonily, gazing out the window at the pinpricks of stars.

"Was it something I said?" he asked, shuffling his feet a little – a nervous habit.

"Was it?" she shot back nastily.

"Nre!" he said, barely quelling his mounting frustration. "Was it something I said about being, erm, duty bound to come after you?"

" 'In the name of honor,' " she quoted bitingly. "And that was the only reason, wasn't it?"

"N-no, not the only," he insisted so fast he tripped over his tongue, "just the most urgent."

_Bad move. Very very bad. Correct immediately!_

"The most important!" she said, whirling around and fixing him with an icy stare.

_Too late._

"Honor and duty are more important to you than family, that much is obvious!"

Carvin stopped his hasty retort in shock of that accusation. Nre took his speechlessness as a sign that she'd called him on the carpet and allowed a trace of a smug expression to light her angry face.

"I most certainly – by the crown – they – they are not!" Carvin said quite loudly upon regaining the use of his tongue. "You were to be my _wife_! I was _worried_ about you!"

"Or about the dishonor you would bring upon your family if I was never found, more like," Nre countered, her voice also rising in volume.

"How dare—" Carvin paused to steady his temper. "Do you doubt my honesty, Nre? Do you doubt my love for you?"

"Never," she said with a cynical smile, "only their order of importance in your mind. You tried to rescue me to bring honor to your name, I understand; I know how you think."

"Don't assume to know anything if this is where your logic leads you!" he shouted, appalled.

"Now you're getting defensive, when I reveal your mind for what it is!" she yelled triumphantly.

"And what is it?" he challenged, eyes glinting.

"Self centered, warped, and unfeeling, using all emotion merely for gain!" she exclaimed, as though that was obvious. "What a father you'll make!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not one!" he snapped acidly.

"You have six months," Nre snarled in a deathly hush.

"There's--" he had been about to say 'there's no hope for me' but had paused when what Nre said registered.

"What? Six months?"

"Aye," she said, gritting her teeth.

She looked at him for a split second more before she fled from the room, leaving Carvin in a state between fury and elation.

"I – six mo – father?" Carvin said, his voice cracking on the last word.

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**Final word count: 868**

**In addition to this chapter, I have a proposal and some possible good news, if you like reading my stuff. I'm not actually taking a break (--muttergrumble--) because **Cimh **has convinced me to write something with her. Now. So, we've got a rough draft of the first chapter and we'll be posting it soon.**

**It's going to be about Gloria (Nre's mom) in her younger days, when she and Jared (Carvin's dad) were best friends and how she meets up with Prince Thomas (Nre's father, obviously). Prince Thomas is the typical insufferable arrogant prince. It will be interesting to write him -- I'm already having fun.**

**So, look for that under the title of "Not All Princes are Nice" **


	5. Stephen!

**Back! Enjoy this little chappie with Dannlin's two-year-old kid --smile--**

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Rose ran along the path, laughing uncontrollably as she chased a toddling boy whose joyful laughter rang throughout the garden.

"I – got you!" she cried, snatching the boy off the ground and twirling him around.

His laughter turned to screeches of giggling fright as he swung in circles.

"Nuh-uh!" he insisted, flailing wildly and trying to dislodge himself from her grip.

"You impudent little liar!" the woman said, flipping the tot upside down and dangling him by his ankles. "Have you no shame? You get that from your father. Ah, speak of the devil – here he comes now."

"DADDEEEEEE!" the boy screamed as Dannlin loped into view, hair plastered to his head and shirt soaked through with sweat.

"Ew, nasty daddy," Rose corrected, wrinkling her nose.

The boy, now turning a most becoming shade of red, held out his scrawny arms in plea for his father.

"Save me, nastydaddy!"

Dannlin laughed and rescued the boy, turning him right way around before setting him neatly on the gravel path.

"Where's Sarah?" Dannlin asked Rose.

"She went into town and left Stephen in my care," Rose explained, ruffling the boy's dark brown hair.

Stephen, unappreciative of the gesture, shook his head violently to restore the proper disorder to his mane before trundling off.

"Oh, alright. Hey did you hear that Faidn is visiting soon?"

"No, I didn't," Rose replied with mild interest, looking for Stephen and discovering him just staring at the geraniums (for now). "We've been keeping in touch with letters, some, but he didn't mention visiting. Odd."

Dannlin looked at her sidelong.

"Come off it, Dann. We're _friends_," Rose sighed, completely understanding the nonverbal hint he had just supplied. "I am being perfectly honest when I say I have absolutely no romantic feelings for Faidn."

Dannlin looked doubtful.

"Dann!" she said reprovingly, "I don't lie, you know that."

"Things can change…"

"This will not change," Rose said firmly. "Who deigned you a matchmaker?"

Sarah's arrival saved him from answering. She scooped up Stephen who was about to eat a geranium and joined the conversation.

"Who is Dannlin trying to match now?" she asked.

"Me and Faidn," Rose said, disgruntled.

Sarah pulled a face.

"Dannlin, sorry, but you're wrong on that count. They wouldn't be able to live two weeks with each other, mark my words. They are great friends, but too similar to live in close proximity."

"Agreed!" Rose said, thankful for the save.

"So lay off tormenting Rose – you will earn nothing but a black eye."

"Got that right," Rose muttered darkly.

Stephen laughed.

"Alright, alright!" Dannlin conceded, throwing his hands up in surrender. "White flag! I'll withdraw before the enemy resorts to violence!"

"Wise choice, general," Sarah said seriously.

"Why chee, gen'rah!" Stephen repeated delightedly.

"Not you too, Stephen!" Dannlin groaned.

Stephen laughed again and clapped his hands.

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**Final word count: 469**

**Review! I'll give you yummy white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies!**


	6. Cassandra and Iain

**This one's a little different from the others -- this is actually a flashback instead of an epilogue thing. It's about Iain and his wife before he turned evil.**

* * *

Cassandra shook her head, wide eyed, and staggered backward against the smooth, wooden wall.

"You've changed, Iain," she said, voice trembling. "You've been gone for a month heaven knows where and now you want me to come with you on this – this – _atrocity_?

"I have not changed, you have," Iain countered, brows furrowing in confusion as he gently reached for her hand.

She shoved her hand behind her back, her terrified gaze piercing Iain to say something.

"You've always encouraged me, Sandy. You've always been there for me in all my foolish pursuits. Yet now, when I find a goal worth pursuing, you treat me like a monster!"

"You want to wipe out an entire race! Iain, that _is_ monstrous!"

"The fairies—" he started hotly.

"I know, Iain, but what of the innocent? The children?" she said desperately.

"They'll grow up to be just like their mothers and fathers," he spat, eyes burning.

"You don't know that! Hate for a few specific fairies has poisoned your mind against them all! Do you hear yourself? And what of Reese? Would you have her growing up knowing only hate and carnage?"

The silence was thick, both of them breathing heavily and staring at each other from their positions on either side of the narrow hallway. Iain's face was an unreadable mixture of emotions.

"They are a despicable race," he said finally. "Join me in ridding the world from them, please, my love, I'm begging you! I can't live without you!"

He dropped to his knees and clutched her skirt, kissing a small fold, and looked up at her pleadingly. Fear laced his whisper in the next word.

"Please."

"I can't live with you," she said in a low voice, the awful struggle showing on her now tear-stained face. "Not like this."

He leapt to his feet and gripped her shoulders before she could run away; his hands squeezed so tightly Cassandra had to bite her lip to keep from whimpering.

"Please, my dear Sandy, my love!"

His shouting voice was wild, unable to accept the fact that the woman he loved so dearly would leave him now, on the brink of a brighter society.

"No, Iain."

A sob choked out of his voice and a few tears slipped down his face as he screwed his eyes shut, just for a moment. He unconsciously gripped her harder and this time Cassandra couldn't stifle the yelp.

He immediately loosened his grasp and furiously wiped at the tears' residue with his sleeve.

"I love you, Sandy," he whispered unevenly.

"I loved you too," she said, trying to wriggle free.

"Sandy," he said painfully, leaning nearer.

"Go away, Iain! Leave us alone! Let me raise my daughter away from you!"

Her biting words were betrayed by an undertone of despair and hopeless love. He released one shoulder and caressed her face.

"Sandy…" he said, his voice in her ear sending chills down her spine.

She loved this man, this horrible, blind, excuse for a human being. Oh, she loved him. Her eyes closed unwillingly, her mind numbed by an upswell of emotion. He kissed her ear lightly, then gently, lovingly, moved to her lips and kissed her for the last time as two hearts broke.

Her reason snapped back to the forefront and she kneed his stomach, suppressing a violent sob. He fell over backward, gasping in pain. Cassandra wiped her mouth with a shaking hand and spat at his feet.

"Your kiss reeks of hatred! Leave!" she said in her nastiest voice.

Iain slowly pulled himself upright, tears streaming unabated now. Her face quivered as she held his gaze. Every emotion he was feeling was clearly seen on his face; love, anger, betrayal, confusion, and stubbornness.

"You will regret your choice," he said, his voice broken, then turned and stumbled out the door.

The door slammed shut and Cassandra collapsed, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. She started to choke on her own cries, racking fits of coughing interspersed with the wrenching sobs of her broken heart.

Something hit her side and she looked up, ready to fight off her crazed husband, but it was just Reese. She curled up in a little ball at her mother's side, her frightened face was just visible under her bright red hair.

"Why you and Daddy yelling, Momma?" she asked in a tremulous voice.

Cassandra took a deep breath and pulled the little girl into her lap, hugging her tightly. She had fought off the grief for now, but her arms still shook.

"Daddy made a mistake," she said, trying to make her voice sound cheerful, blinking back the tears.

"Is he hurt? Did he get in trouble?" Reese asked, panicked tears starting to fall from her large eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Reese," Cassandra said soothingly, brushing away her daughter's tears. "Everything – everything will be okay."

"Stop crying then, Momma," Reese said importantly, smiling. "If everything's gonna be fine, don't be sad."

She squirmed out of her mother's grip.

"Daddy will be back soon, he probably just went to do some more biz'ness."

She held Cassandra's hand and wiped her face with her nightgown.

"Sssh, it's gonna be fine. You can sleep with me. Things'll better better ina mornin'. That's what Daddy allus says."

"Thanks, Reese," Cassandra whispered, following the girl into her bedroom.

They both fell asleep in Reese's small bed, fingers intertwined, and beginning the strong mother-daughter bond that kept Cassandra alive.

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**Final word count: 902 **

**What did you think? --nibbles lip--**

**Please check out "Not All Princes Are Nice", and "Not All Books Should Be Read" will be posted soon.  
**

**Review and I'll give you a slice of birthday cake!  
**


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